99% Paleo Thanksgiving

GttnITtgthr
GttnITtgthr Posts: 35
edited November 8 in Social Groups
Has anyone ever attempted this? My husband and I have fallen off the paleo wagon a bit but I am super excited to create a 99% Paleo Thanksgiving meal this year. I don't normally partake in Paleo baked goods but because I'm not the biggest fan of traditional Thanksgiving desserts I will be making apple tartlets from paleomg.com for the hubs who loves apple pie. This would be a %100 paleo meal but I don't think we'll get through the day without a couple of glasses of wine. I am so excited to slather my turkey in ghee instead of butter!!!

Replies

  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Haven't tried this yet but I will this year. Researching recipes now.I've seen turkeys with bacon woven over the breast and roasted that way. We are doing a turkey breast because we have only a small number of people. I think I will do a dry brine on it.
  • GrokRockStar
    GrokRockStar Posts: 2,938 Member
    I don't ever think I've gone 100%, but maybe 85%, but needless today I'm usually miserable after.
  • SteamClutch
    SteamClutch Posts: 433 Member
    My family is not Paleo so I just eat all the good stuff that is and my wife has been making things with me in mind when she can. Last year I made a pumpkin pie which was more like a pumpkin custard without a crust and it was nice so it worked for me.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    My turkey was late for Thanksgiving in Canada so I just cooked it up yesterday. Dry brined free ranged turkey with apple/onion/parsley stuffing, sweet potato casserole, gravy (slightly thickened with arrowroot), boiled cabbage with butter (butter works fine for me, and I have a heck of a time finding grass fed ghee that is reasonably priced and can be shipped to me in the Canadian Arctic), homemade cranberry sauce with a bit of honey, and pumpkin custard. No dairy, no wheat, no grain, no legumes, very low sugar. A little bit on the carby side for what works best for me, but almost 100% "Paleo". Best turkey dinner EVER.
  • HestiaMoon1
    HestiaMoon1 Posts: 278 Member
    If you look, you can find some paleo sites that allow wine - I mean, come on, we're talking fermented grapes ... how can that be all bad?
    Also, I make stuffing with my paleo bread that is made with almond and coconut flours instead of wheat flour.
    As for desserts, I like crustless cheesecake cupcakes.
    You'll make it work for you ... and eat with THANKS not guilt.
  • LeenaGee
    LeenaGee Posts: 749 Member
    If you look, you can find some paleo sites that allow wine - I mean, come on, we're talking fermented grapes ... how can that be all bad?
    Also, I make stuffing with my paleo bread that is made with almond and coconut flours instead of wheat flour.
    As for desserts, I like crustless cheesecake cupcakes.
    You'll make it work for you ... and eat with THANKS not guilt.

    I sorry we don't have Thanksgiving. :'(:'( But in Oz, we use any excuse whatsoever to party!!
  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
    If you look, you can find some paleo sites that allow wine - I mean, come on, we're talking fermented grapes ... how can that be all bad?
    Also, I make stuffing with my paleo bread that is made with almond and coconut flours instead of wheat flour.
    As for desserts, I like crustless cheesecake cupcakes.
    You'll make it work for you ... and eat with THANKS not guilt.

    Can you share your bread recipe? Still trying to find one that works for us.
  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
    My turkey was late for Thanksgiving in Canada so I just cooked it up yesterday. Dry brined free ranged turkey with apple/onion/parsley stuffing, sweet potato casserole, gravy (slightly thickened with arrowroot), boiled cabbage with butter (butter works fine for me, and I have a heck of a time finding grass fed ghee that is reasonably priced and can be shipped to me in the Canadian Arctic), homemade cranberry sauce with a bit of honey, and pumpkin custard. No dairy, no wheat, no grain, no legumes, very low sugar. A little bit on the carby side for what works best for me, but almost 100% "Paleo". Best turkey dinner EVER.

    Sounds yummy! We make a delicious fresh cranberry relish with orange sections and cranberries in the food processor. Youngest has also perfected (IMO) cooked cranberry sauce with frozen or fresh cranberries, a little OJ, and honey.
  • jmhunter82
    jmhunter82 Posts: 23 Member
    ClutchBone wrote: »
    My family is not Paleo so I just eat all the good stuff that is and my wife has been making things with me in mind when she can. Last year I made a pumpkin pie which was more like a pumpkin custard without a crust and it was nice so it worked for me.

    I did that a few years back--when I was doing really well!! and it WAS awesome! Thanks for the reminder!

  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
    I've been collecting recipes so that I can have a Primal Thanksgiving with my friends. They may not eat primal, but If I bring enough primal options, I know I won't be eating any of the grained items, and won't suffer at all.
  • sarabeth624
    sarabeth624 Posts: 33 Member
    My Momma's cooks for many non-primal folks for Thanksgiving, although some of us are. Her way of not depriving the non-primals is to set a basket of frozen rolls and a jar of canned cranberries on one end of the table. Other than that it tends to be 100%. Her philosophy is to make so many small-ish dishes of various veggies you don't notice the dressing is mostly fruit and nuts and there is no green bean casserole.

    SO: sweet potatoes, zucchini gratin, green salad, fruit salad, warm greens, brussel sprouts, asparagus, beets, carrots, apple and nut dressing, turkey, hardly sweetened cranberries, hardly sweetened pumpkin cheesecake with nut crust, date fudge balls.

    It's carby but good for you!
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
    Sounds Delicious, Sarabeth. and, I've had the munchies all day - and I'm now salivating... :)
  • 100andOnward
    100andOnward Posts: 145 Member
    http://whole9life.com/2012/11/a-healthy-whole9-thanksgiving/

    This page was a huge help during my first Paleo thanksgiving. :)
  • My Momma's cooks for many non-primal folks for Thanksgiving, although some of us are. Her way of not depriving the non-primals is to set a basket of frozen rolls and a jar of canned cranberries on one end of the table. Other than that it tends to be 100%. Her philosophy is to make so many small-ish dishes of various veggies you don't notice the dressing is mostly fruit and nuts and there is no green bean casserole.

    SO: sweet potatoes, zucchini gratin, green salad, fruit salad, warm greens, brussel sprouts, asparagus, beets, carrots, apple and nut dressing, turkey, hardly sweetened cranberries, hardly sweetened pumpkin cheesecake with nut crust, date fudge balls.

    It's carby but good for you!

    I'm making green bean casserole, it may not taste exactly the same but hopefully it will get the job done.
    http://detoxinista.com/2012/11/clean-green-bean-casserole-vegan-paleo/
  • ElisaMicciulli
    ElisaMicciulli Posts: 41 Member
    I'm not judging, I swear! But I thought green beans are not a Paleo item. I am still fairly new to Paleo (less than 6 weeks). Can we eat green beans? I've been staying away fro them....
  • lujo321
    lujo321 Posts: 78 Member
    I don't know the "official" rule. LOL as if there was one. But I eat green beans. On the Whole30 they say as long as you eat the pod you can eat the bean/pea. I'm not as strict as some folks though. To me it is an individual decision to make.
  • If they're okay on Whole30 they're okay in my book.
  • ElisaMicciulli
    ElisaMicciulli Posts: 41 Member
    Glad to hear the response. I love green beans and I pln to now add them to my meals. Thanks! (there is only so much broccoli and spinach I can sautee each week LOL)
  • sarabeth624
    sarabeth624 Posts: 33 Member
    I don't stress canned green beans once and awhile. They sure seem different to my tummy than "real" bean beans!
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I'm making this stuffing recipe this year. I made one batch of the paleo "cornbread" and decided that I needed more so made another batch subbing hazelnut meal/flour for the almond meal. It smells awesome!
  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
    How did the stuffing turn out? I'm really sick from the gluten free stuffing we had yesterday. It was probably the rice flour that's found in most gluten free breads. I can't stand the taste of hazelnuts, for some reason. I might have to try an almond-based stuffing... or just leave stuffing behind altogether. I know how good I felt before yesterday, and I prefer that feeling to eating "traditional" foods...

    DD who helped me in the kitchen picked out the recipes we used for gluten free dinner rolls and pumpkin pie (she's celiac but can't do nuts), so there was a lot of rice flour involved. I had suspected I might have a problem with rice. Now I know.

    Next year I might make gf stuffing and rolls for the family and paleo alternatives for myself. Or maybe just skip the paleo alternatives and focus on the turkey and vegetables. As it was, I spent five hours straight in the kitchen yesterday, only to have the festive meal spoiled by a big verbal fight between two of our teens.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Sorry about the teen drama. We have a 3 yr. old and she provides her own drama ;-) the stuffing was good. Stupidly I doubled the recipe-way too much! I think I might skip stuffing altogether next time. For me that's the dish that makes me feel too full. I'd have been just as happy without it. But it is a good substitute for traditional bread stuffing.
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    I totally did not do Paleo Thanksgiving, but I CAN! I gave in to sick and hormones and ate whatever! (gluten free always).
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    FYI you can stuff a turkey with many many things without using bread or bread substitutes. The apple and onion I used was good but my kid isn't crazy about onions. lol I've found it easier to adapt to Paleo/Primal by not finding substitutes for bready/sugary things. Gluten free substitutes, for me, doesn't seem to be much healthier than if it had wheat.
  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
    I have been thinking about turkey stuffing and not coming up with anything that sounds palatable, at least at first thought. Like the apple and onion you mentioned. Or sausage.

    I have made wild rice stuffing in the past, and quinoa stuffing before I went off all grains, and now that I don't eat rice or wild rice, I make cauliflower rice. I wonder what would happen to brussels sprouts or cauliflower in the long roasting time turkey requires? Other ideas might be jicama? Or root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas, carrots, parsnips (don't care much for parsnips, and turnips and rutabagas are only palatable to me when fried in bacon fat, but maybe baked inside a turkey with those lovely juices...?) and, can you believe it, radishes? I read a few months ago that baked or fried radishes lose their sharpness and resemble potatoes.
  • GrokRockStar
    GrokRockStar Posts: 2,938 Member
    I fry radishes all the time, and while the taste is slightly bitter, it sort of mimics a potato.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Try roasted radishes! I loathe raw radish but roasted-yum!
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Sumiblue wrote: »
    Try roasted radishes! I loathe raw radish but roasted-yum!

    ^This. I couldn't believe how delicious roasted radishes are! Make sure to use some delicious fat too.
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